How can artificial intelligence contribute to greater justice, sustainability and participation? GIZ uses artificial intelligence (AI) in a targeted manner where it can benefit society – responsibly, with a focus on achieving results and in dialogue with our partner countries.
In an increasingly interconnected world, data-based approaches and AI technologies are crucial tools for effectively tackling global challenges such as hunger, poverty, climate change and social inequality.
Together with our partner countries, we are actively shaping this change in a responsible manner – by making targeted use of potential, minimising risks such as data misuse and digital inequality, and ensuring that everyone can participate in this development.
Clear, comprehensive and adaptable digital policies are essential at both national and international level in order to integrate the use of AI into international cooperation and create ethical and legal frameworks. That is why we are working with our partners to develop AI strategies and national and international regulations.
Artificial intelligence provides new scope for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and tangibly improving people’s lives. To ensure that good ideas have the desired impact, we first test AI in experiments, learn from the results and scale up proven solutions together with our partners.
The fields of application are diverse, ranging from chatbots that keep administrative services available around the clock to learning models that analyse satellite images, warn farmers of droughts at an early stage and support climate-resilient cultivation decisions. This creates data-based processes that are socially, environmentally and economically sustainable.
The development and operation of AI systems is dependent on reliable and secure physical and software infrastructure. This requires technical expertise as well as a legal and regulatory framework – both within GIZ and from our partners. We provide advice on developing reliable infrastructure in order to use AI systems effectively.
The availability and quality of AI training data is crucial for the public use of AI systems that are tailored to specific needs. We support the collection of a wide range of training data to ensure fair, local and global AI applications.
AI technologies must be based on ethical principles and sustainable values – they should uphold human rights and contribute to global justice. In particular, the impact on marginalised groups, disadvantaged countries and regions and the protection of privacy must always be taken into account.
To make artificial intelligence fairer, we promote the inclusion of local languages in training data so that the voices of marginalised groups are also heard. We are also committed to gender-equitable AI development. This approach encompasses all gender identities and challenges principles of power that are expressed through historically biased datasets in AI systems. We also support the participation of women and marginalised groups in the development of AI.
The responsible use of natural resources is also essential. Developing sustainable digital solutions in alignment with the principles of ‘green IT’ is a key challenge. AI also offers enormous potential to support this transition in an effective and future-oriented way. GIZ is active at many levels in this context. We support global agendas for fairer AI and promote the development of AI applications to mitigate climate change and reduce plastic waste, for example.
Building AI expertise is an ongoing challenge due to the rapid evolution of technologies, fields of application, laws and stakeholders. In-depth knowledge of artificial intelligence is currently often limited to just a few experts, while basic know-how is lacking in many places.
That is why we provide our partners with targeted support in building expertise that is adapted to the respective target groups: from the responsible application and technical development of AI to regulation of this field.
Only by building knowledge can local AI ecosystems be created, new ideas be brought to life and potential risks related to the use of AI be effectively mitigated.